At the event, more than two hundred leaders from every sector -- philanthropy, government, finance, media, education, nonprofit, faith -- gathered to hear about efforts taking place across the nation to improve the lives of black men and boys. And while acknowledging the many challenges black men and boys face, forum participants focused on celebrating victories, spotlighting innovative strategies, and building on growing momentum in the field.

Here are some of my takeaways from the event:

Black men and boys are assets. The Knight Foundation's Trabian Shorters described the foundation's Black Male Engagement (BME) Challenge, which put out a call to black men in Detroit and Philadelphia to share stories of how they were helping their communities. The foundation received almost twenty-one hundred responses in just eight weeks from "regular" folks -- neighbors, uncles, coaches -- who are volunteering their time to make a difference in others' lives. With negative portrayals of African-American males dominating the media, these are stories that need to be shared.

The time is now. The field of black male achievement is "not a new idea. It's a now idea," said Shawn Dove, campaign manager for the Open Society Foundations' Campaign for Black Male Achievement. That sentiment -- what Dr. Robert Ross, president and CEO of the California Endowment, described as the "spiritual audacity of the moment" -- was echoed by numerous speakers and evident in the energy and enthusiasm of participants. Indeed, it was Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, who expressed what most people in the room were thinking: "We have everyone we need to get this going. Help has arrived. It's arrived in the form of a movement."

The movement must be built on collaboration. Although the forum was hosted by the Open Society Foundations, the event was all about building the broader field of black male achievement and pooling resources to create real and lasting change. As speaker after speaker acknowledged, there's a role for everyone to play, from investors in social impact funds and African Americans serving on the boards of Fortune 500 companies to young entrepreneurs and volunteer mentors.

"The days of working in silos are gone. That time is dead," said Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt, who emceed the afternoon sessions. Or, as Geoff Canada remarked, those who try to go it alone are bound to fail. The problems are large and complex, said Canada, and we are going to need to engage whole communities in developing a holistic response if we hope to solve them. "The only question," he added, "is, are we prepared to put the cause higher than our own egos or habits?"

Closing the belief gap. The opportunity and achievement gaps confronting black men and boys are well documented. Shawn Dove ended the day by asking, "Do we really believe we can win? For me, what winning looks like is that we've got to first close the belief gap."

I'll close with an anecdote shared by Dr. Ross. Before 1954, he told the audience, it was believed no human being could run a mile in under four minutes. Scientists said it was physically impossible. But in 1954, one man, Roger Bannister, did what everyone said couldn't be done. And within three years, fourteen other people had run a sub-four-minute mile. (Today, there are more than three hundred American sub-four-minute milers alone. I Googled it.) The Open Society Foundations launched its Campaign for Black Male Achievement four years ago. And today, there are sixteen foundations around the country making robust, targeted investments in the future of black men and boys. Not to mention thousands of individuals and organizations committed to their success.

Can the struggle for black male achievement be won? After attending this week's Impact & Innovation Forum, I, for one, am a believer.

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Would like to see leaders use maps and charts and documentation systems to define success. Maps can show where poverty is concentrated and can show availability of birth-to-work programs in non-school hours. If the maps show these available in ALL high poverty neighborhoods, or a growing number each year, that can be one way to measure success.

Charts and graphics can show "who all needs to be involved", or "the village" everyone refers to. This graphic is an example. http://tinyurl.com/T-MC-VillageCMap Using social network analysis and visualization maps like this need to include names of people, organizations, philanthropists who are actively supporting the places on the maps where kids are being helped.

Charts can also show actions that need to be taken. This four-part strategy shows importance of information collection, public awareness, facilitation and resource development. http://tinyurl.com/TMC-4-Part-Strategy Using on-line documentation systems people on the village map can document actions they take daily related to one or all of these four actions. This OHATS metrics page illustrates how such actions could be aggregated on a web site. http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net/OHATS/Metrics.aspx

As the first three recommendations show how we make more and better programs available in more places, video interviews of young people who are now adults and in jobs because these systems reached them as early as first grade can demonstrate what is possible if the systems are in place and supported for decades.

These recommendations are based on my own 35 years of work trying to help kids from the Cabrini-Green area of Chicago move through school and to jobs and careers.